Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of programming a mask-programmable logic device to create a mask-programmed logic device that performs one or more desired functions, said method comprising: designing, for a user-programmable logic device compatible with said mask-programmable logic device, programming to perform said one or more desired functions, thereby creating a user-programmable logic device programming file and one or more user-programmable logic device configuration files; operating on said user-programmable logic device programming file using a first transformation function to create programming for said mask-programmable logic device including one or more mask-programmable logic device configuration files; and processing said one or more user-programmable logic device configuration files and said one or more mask-programmable logic device configuration files to create said mask-programmed logic device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises: disassembling at least one of said at least one user-programmable logic device configuration files to generate a netlist.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said processing further comprises: inputting said netlist to a place and route tool.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said processing further comprises: inputting said at least one mask-programmable logic device configuration file to said place and route tool.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one user-programmable logic device configuration file comprises at least a bitstream configuration file.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said at least one user-programmable logic device configuration file further comprises a file representing user constraints.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one mask-programmable logic device configuration file comprises at least one of: (a) a file representing mask-programmable logic device timing constraints; and (b) a file representing mask-programmable logic device placement constraints.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising testing said programming for said compatible user-programmable logic device prior to creating said mask-programmed logic device.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said designing comprises designing said programming for said compatible user-programmable logic device based at least in part on characteristics of said mask-programmable logic device.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said designing comprises designing said programming for said compatible user-programmable logic device based at least in part on characteristics of said mask-programmable logic device.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said first transformation function includes a mapping between said user-programmable logic device and said mask-programmable logic device.
12. A mask-programmed logic device, programmed in accordance with the method of claim 1 .
13. A digital processing system comprising: processing circuitry; a memory coupled to said processing circuitry; and a mask-programmed logic device, programmed in accordance with the method of claim 1 , coupled to the processing circuitry and the memory.
14. A printed circuit board on which is mounted a mask-programmed logic device programmed in accordance with the method of claim 1 .
15. The printed circuit board defined in claim 14 further comprising: memory circuitry mounted on the printed circuit board and coupled to the mask-programmed logic device.
16. The printed circuit board defined in claim 15 further comprising: processing circuitry mounted on the printed circuit board and coupled to the memory circuitry.
17. A method of programming a mask-programmable logic device to create a mask-programmed logic device that performs one or more desired functions, said method comprising: designing, for a user-programmable logic device compatible with said mask-programmable logic device, programming to perform said one or more desired functions, thereby creating one or more user-programmable logic device configuration files; operating on said one or more user-programmable logic device configuration files using a first transformation function to create programming for said mask-programmable logic device including one or more mask-programmable logic device configuration files; using a second transformation function to convert said programming for said mask-programmable logic device to derived programming for said user-programmable logic device; and testing said derived programming for said user-programmable logic device.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said testing comprises comparing said derived programming to said programming designed for said user-programmable logic device.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein said testing comprises programming a user-programmable logic device with said derived programming and observing operation of said programmed user-programmable logic device.
20. A method of programming a mask-programmable logic device to create a mask-programmed logic device that performs one or more desired functions, said method comprising: designing programming for said mask-programmable logic device to perform said one or more desired functions, thereby creating one or more mask-programmable logic device configuration files; operating on said one or more mask-programmable logic device configuration files using a transformation function to create programming for a user-programmable logic device compatible with said mask-programmable logic device, including one or more user-programmable logic device configuration files.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising: processing said one or more user-programmable logic device configuration files and said one or more mask-programmable logic device configuration files to create said mask-programmed logic device.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein said processing comprises: disassembling at least one of said at least one user-programmable logic device configuration files to generate a netlist.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein said processing further comprises: inputting said netlist to a place and route tool.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein said processing further comprises: inputting said at least one mask-programmable logic device configuration file to said place and route tool.
25. The method of claim 20 wherein said at least one user-programmable logic device configuration file comprises at least a bitstream configuration file.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein said at least one user-programmable logic device configuration file further comprises a file representing user constraints.
27. The method of claim 20 wherein said at least one mask-programmable logic device configuration file comprises at least one of: (a) a file representing mask-programmable logic device timing constraints; and (b) a file representing mask-programmable logic device placement constraints.
28. The method of claim 20 further comprising testing said programming for said compatible user-programmable logic device prior to creating said mask-programmed logic device.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein said operating comprises designing said programming for said compatible user-programmable logic device based at least in part on characteristics of said mask-programmable logic device.
30. The method of claim 20 wherein said operating comprises designing said programming for said compatible user-programmable logic device based at least in part on characteristics of said mask-programmable logic device.
31. The method of claim 20 wherein said designing comprises designing said programming for said mask-programmable logic device based at least in part on characteristics of said compatible user-programmable logic device.
32. The method of claim 20 wherein said transformation function includes a mapping between said user-programmable logic device and said mask-programmable logic device.
33. A mask-programmed logic device, programmed in accordance with the method of claim 20 .
34. A digital processing system comprising: processing circuitry; a memory coupled to said processing circuitry; and a mask-programmed logic device, programmed in accordance with the method of claim 20 , coupled to the processing circuitry and the memory.
35. A printed circuit board on which is mounted a mask-programmed logic device programmed in accordance with the method of claim 20 .
36. The printed circuit board defined in claim 35 further comprising: memory circuitry mounted on the printed circuit board and coupled to the mask-programmed logic device.
37. The printed circuit board defined in claim 36 further comprising: processing circuitry mounted on the printed circuit board and coupled to the memory circuitry.
Unknown
October 30, 2007
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